Stolen History

Subtitled ‘The Truth about the British Empire and How it Shaped Us,’ Sanghera, author of best-selling Empireland for the adult market, writes here on the same topic for children. As he states, this subject covers a hugely important slice of our history which is not currently given sufficient focus within the school curriculum.

In a series of seven chapters in a slim volume the author explains what an Empire is, the extent of the British Empire, its legacy and why it matters today. He explores the background to our multicultural nation, how our towns and cities have been shaped by the Empire and the impact it has had on what we say, do and believe. He considers why we don’t know more about all of this and what, if anything, the reader could or should do about it.

The links of the British Empire to the slave trade are made clear; contentious topical issues such as the removal of statues of local philanthropists who made their wealth through links to the slave trade are addressed and whether we have a right to many of the artefacts in our museums.

Key concepts such as repatriation, exceptionalism and jingoism are introduced. The text is interspersed with interesting vignettes, for example the significance of nutmeg, how tea became a national drink, the crown jewels and cricket.

Very interesting reference is made to the impact of the Empire on our language; however, the promised short dictionary disappointingly only contains two words. A glossary of words in everyday usage which originate from corners of the Empire would have been a useful addition – a few words are mentioned, notably toboggan and zombie, but a longer list would have been interesting.

This book is written as narrative nonfiction in an informal style to appeal to young readers. However, the chronology is slightly confused, more clarity would make the book easier to follow, in relation to the growth of the Empire itself, its dependance on the slave trade and the links between The Commonwealth and The British Empire. Although illustrated with lively line drawings a topic of this nature would also benefit from more illustrative material to bring it to life for younger readers, including perhaps more maps, a timeline, facsimiles of documents, paintings or photographs of some of the artefacts and statues mentioned.

This is such an important topic and efforts have been made to find the right tone and tread a diplomatic non-judgmental path. It may provide a useful introduction to the British Empire and encourage young readers to ask questions of teachers and museum educators and lead the way for more books on the topic for as the author states: ‘We are united by this complex imperial history.’